AHCA Provides More Regulatory Resources for LTC Providers in 2024

The AHCA/NCAL Regulatory and Clinical Team continues to update long term care (LTC) providers with recently published resources. These resources were prepared with AHCA/NCAL members in mind and included member feedback in their creation. The Association aims to support providers and ensure they have the tools to stay compliant with various regulatory requirements.  

All available AHCA regulatory resources (including those below) are outlined in the document AHCA Regulatory Resources.    

• 483.12 Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Misappropriation: 

Survey Tip Sheets, which provide key information to long-term care providers for regulatory compliance under §483.12:  

• Documenting Protection on Abuse Reporting  

• Reporting Resident to Resident Altercations 

483.25 Quality of Care:  

• Falls Prevention Guide – This 6-part educational series was developed by subject matter experts on the AHCA Clinical Practice Committee to help long-term care providers develop, implement and sustain an effective falls prevention program. Each module contains a short educational video, a PowerPoint presentation, key take-aways and additional resources. 

483.60 Food and Nutrition Services: 

• Survey Tip – Food Procurement, Storage, Preparation, and Sanitation – Each year, F812 (Food Procurement, Store/Prepare/Serve Sanitary Foods) continues to be one of the top cited F-tags. This tip sheet is designed to assist facilities with regulatory compliance under F812. 

483.71 Facility Assessment:

• NEW! Facility Assessment §483.71 Action Brief – This update to the Facility Assessment Action Brief includes guidance outlines in the Minimum Staffing Final Rule. The updates to the Facility Assessment go into effect on August 8, 2024. 

483.80 Infection Control:  

The following resources were developed as part of the LTC National Infection Prevention Forum (NIPF) and are available for AHCA/NCAL members. The NIPF reviewed citations related to infection prevention and noticed trends in certain areas. Tip sheets were developed to assist facilities with regulatory compliance in these areas:

• Clinical Scenario – Asymptomatic Bacteriuria (ASB) versus Urinary Tract Infection 
• AHCA/NCAL Infection Preventionist Hot Topic Brief – Legionella Prevention with Water Management Program  

In addition, the following new resources were posted related to §483.80:  

• EBP Frequently Asked Questions – includes many frequently asked questions received from AHCA members, providing answers based on the QSO memo 24-08-NH, information on the CDC website and responses received from CMS and the CDC. 
• QIO NHSN Support Reference Guide – This resource provides contact information and links to various QIO resources related to reporting in NHSN. 

In addition to the above regulatory resources, the following AHCA Final Rule summaries were posted since the last update:  

• New HHS Rule Strengthens Prohibitions Against Discrimination Based on a Disability in Health Care and Human Services Programs  
• Final Rule on Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities Member Summary & Table 

Please send any questions regarding the above resources to regulatory@ahca.org.  

Source: AHCA/NCAL